Tom Riddle's Secret Weapon
by meganquillen
Summary: Although they had Narrowly escaped death, Ron and Harry had accidentally left Hermione at the Malfoy Manor. At the last minute when apparating, Hermione's fingers had slipt and with a crack as loud as a whip, they were gone. Now, Hermione must come to face the Dark Lord alone. Will Ron and Harry be able to save her? What will Voldemort do with his new pawn?
1. Chapter 1: My Pet

Bracing herself for apparition, Hermione grabbed hands with Harry. Only, her hand had slipped free as they began to transport to safety. Desperately, Hermione went to grasp his hand once more, but was greeted with nothing but a clasp of air. Her heart sank in her chest at the realization that she, Hermione Granger, hadn't just escaped with the rest of them. No, she hadn't been so fortunate. Her friends were now safe from the grips of Voldemort, while refuge felt like a concept a million miles away.

Hermione found herself with her eyes still shut tightly, as if she was bracing the apparition that had never occured. Upon opening her eyes, she found the room to be occupied still with Bellatrix and the rest of the Malfoy family, there eyes all on her. Silence stabbed the room like a thousand knives until suddenly, Bellatrix let out a gasp.

"Well, seize her! Seize the mudblood!" Bellatrix's voice penetrated the room at even higher octave than usual, perhaps due to her own nevres upon the Dark Lord's arrival.

Hermione just stood still, wandless, feeling stunned and hopeless for the first time in her life without a thought of what to do next. Luscious quickly cast a body binding curse upon Hermione, and she found herself unable to move. Thoughts of the dark Lords arrival nervously swarmed over her anxiously as she tried to swallow the reality of her approaching death. Before she could contemplate this much further however, there was a loud crack and a swarm of dark robes appeared. Hermione felt herself tremble under her constraints as she gazed at the red-eyed, serpent like man she was now facing. His snakelike face had etched upon it an unmistakable grin that left ice running through Hermione's veins.

"Where's the boy?" the high pitched, cool voice called out to the room as he turned to examine its contents.

"Give him to me. I must be the one to kill him. Where is he?" Voldemort impatiently demanded in a cool but calculating hiss. Hermione felt a moment of relief, _At least they haven't got Harry. Harry's safe_ she remembered warmly as she thought of her friends. This close to death, she had felt braver than she would of expected. She was assured in the safety of Harry, and the hope of Harry fulfilling Dumbledore's mission. She may have to die, but her friends would be okay. Harry was safe.

"Lord...My lord." Bellatrix began, quivering as she spoke.

"He's gone. He… well he escaped. I'm so sorry my Lord, so sorry! Please do not punish me, it was not my fault! The house elf, he…" Bellatrix sputtered nervously under the glare of her Master.

"You are telling me, the boy has escaped, yet again?" Voldemort hissed coldly into the silence of the room.

"Well, My Lord, we got the mudblood. You know, the girl…" Lucious voice trailed off as voldemort had abruptly held his hand up to silence him.

"You have failed me yet again. Lord Voldemort can only be so forgiving…" Voldemort began, but was quickly interrupted by the sobbing of bellatrix as she feel to his feet.

"My lord, My lord! I did all I could, I have failed you. I deserve to be punished!" bellatrix sobbed into Voldemort's icy white feet.

"Quiet, Bella. If you had not been so faithful to me in the past you would not have been spared today at such a disappointment as this. But because of your continued devotion, I shall not kill you and your family today." He finished, no emotion behind his red gleaming eyes.

"Oh thank you my lord! Thankyou!" Bellatrix continued to sob at his feet.

"Thank you my lord. We are so grateful to you. We will not fail you again." Lucious choked.

"I shall hope not, Lucious for your sake. However, All you seem to do lately is exactly that." Lord Voldemort spat as he simultaneously pulled out his wand.

" _Crucio"_ Voldemort beckoned, and Lucious contorted in screams of pain. Hermione was not sure how much longer his screams of anguish and misery would last. He lay on the floor, trashing against the cold dark wood in pain, as both his wife and child watched in sheer horror. To even more of Hermione's astonishment, Voldemort laughed and screamed sadistically back at his victim. After what seemed like forever, Voldemort lowered his wand. Bellatrix still sat on the floor, though further from her master as she had been previously.

"You next, Bella?" Voldemort asked now directing his attention at her and raising his wand.

"No...please my Lord. Please spare me. I brought you the mudblood of his...I" Bellatrix heaved, looking absolutely terrified.

"Mudblood?" Voldemort questioned as he stared blankly in confusion, lowering his wand. Next thing Hermione knew, he was facing her directly. His eyes burned into hers as she prepared for a fatal blow. Instead, Voldemort spoke again, amused.

"I hadn't realized we had guests! How rude of me?" he teased. Hermione gulped, just hoping he wouldn't torture her first before killing her. She wasn't sure of how much more torture she could take after Bellatrix had her way with her earlier.

"So you must be Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's infamous mudblood girlfriend?" Voldemort laughed again, showing his small beady teeth.

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Hermione found herself shout before she was even sure why. Why did it matter, she asked herself. _He is just trying to play with your emotions._

"Hmmm why not? Pretty thing like you?" Voldemort hissed in his high pitched voice. Hermione noticed Bellatrix straighten up at this, obvious annoyance and jealousy spread across her sallow face.

"He is like a brother to me, that's why. And he will defeat you!" Hermione's mustered more bravery than she thought possible as she heard herself speak these words. She must be crazy, she thought, to be challenging Voldemort like that while she was at his mercy. Part of her however didn't care, she wanted to die a brave gryffindor.

"And the red headed blood traitor, is he your boyfriend then?" Voldemort gritted his teeth but ignored her comment about his defeat. Hermione wondered why he had been so interested in such frivolous matters as who she was dating. It seemed hardly relevant at the time, given the circumstances. Annoyance spread across her face, as well as that of Bellatrix, although neither dare voice this outloud.

"No, he is not my boyfriend." Hermione grew frustrated and concerned with where Voldemort was going. Was he trying to play mind games with her?

"I see" hissed Voldemort, seemingly satisfied.

"Now leave us, all of you." Voldemort demanded cruelly. Bellatrix was about to object, but realized how close she had come to being tortured and silently obeyed. Everyone left except for Malfoy, who actually had remorse and worry stretched upon his face as he stare from Voldemort to Hermione. He stood there in horror for several seconds untill a voice from the other room beckoned him.

"Draco, now!" Narcissa demanded sternly and Draco soon fell away from view.

"Now that we are alone." Voldemort waved his wand and the binds holding Hermione in place disappeared. Hermione was completely confused why he had not yet killed her. What was it he was waiting for? And why did he need to talk to her privately? Hermione bit her upper lip in deep thought before finally speaking.

"What is it you need to talk to me about? I will never betray Harry no matter if you torture me to death, so if that's what your up to then you should just kill me now!" Hermione boldly stated it, using all the energy she could possibly muster.

"Brave girl." Voldemort observed out loud as he circled around Hermione who continued to look straight forward.

"Yet I do not want to kill you, Hermione." Voldemort smoothly retorted in his icy pitch.

"You...you don't?" Hermione could barely contain her audible surprise at this prospect. She had been so sure Voldemort would want to kill her right away. How could she have been wrong? What was he planning instead? Would her fate now be worse than death?

"No of course not, girl. I've taken a liking to you." Voldemort now drew closer as he continued to circle in, as if he was predator going in for his prey. Hermione not dare move, for she had no wand, so any resistance she knew would be useless. Hermione waited silently for him to speak again, but soon she felt an icy grip from behind her.

Long icy fingers and a wand extended across her neck as Voldemort took in the smell of her hair. Hermione, stood unmoving in terror and shock. Suddenly, she felt his hands begin to grope her waist and she shook him off feverishly.

"A little bite. I like that." Voldemort answered her resistance with a tightened grip of her waist as he pressed against her.

"You want to know why I am not going to kill you?" Voldemort whispered in her ear. Hermione felt cold tears begin to sting her face as the answer to that question now seemed absolutely clear.

"Because you are my secret weapon against Potter. My pet, if you will." And with that he released her as she bent down in silent tears.


	2. Chapter 2: An Unexpected Friend

The dungeon floor felt cold and hard against Hermione's pale skin. She lay there, motionless and physically exhausted. However, her physical pain and anguish couldn't compare to how she was now feeling. Afterall, she had been so close to narrowly escaping once more with her friends, so close to safety and freedom. Yet here she lie in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor, doomed to a fate even worse than death.

The only thought that kept her going was the idea her friends were safe and continuing on their journey to find and destroy Horcruxes. That was the only way Voldemort would finally meet his demise. Part of her was afraid they would do something rash and stupid like try and rescue her, but yet a more selfish part of her secretly hoped they would. She would give anything to see them once more, for she now felt like she had taken their presence for granted. If only she could say goodbye one last time. If only she could tell Harry how he had always been her best friend and tell Ron the deep feelings she had always harboured for him. She loved them both and now she would never see either of them again, along with her parents or any of her other Hogwarts friends. The thought truly jolted her out of her shock as tears once again welled up inside her, spilling out violently onto the icy dungeon floor.

What was even worse, Hermione thought to herself, was what Voldemort's planned to do with her. She had never been more terrified of anything in her entire life. Even death now seemed like a merry escape compared to this. He had called her his "pet", she shuddered at the very thought of the word. He had said he would use her as a weapon against Harry. This terrified her even more, because of how well she knew Harry. Even though they had planned for something like this to happen and promised they would continue on despite the loss of one of them, Hermione sensed Harry would struggle immensely with this. Harry for the better or worse, was always the hero. It had been that way since the beginning, and he always had a tendency to come in and save the day. It had even cost him his Godfather once, and that Hermione hoped would prevent him from attempting a rescue mission once more with her.

But what exactly Voldemort planned to do with her, she was not sure. She wasn't even sure what he wanted from her. His advances on her she believed could have been a game he was playing and one she hoped he would soon get bored with. As she contemplated this further, a thud came from the creaking door and Draco entered the room. He came carrying a bowl of stew and his expression, Hermione thought surprisingly, looked genuinely concerned.

"Here. I brought this for you." Draco sat the bowl next to Hermione as she sat up, keeping her eyes glued upon him. She wondered if he really had any remorse for her condition, and whether his look was genuine. She expected him to turn around and walk away, but he didn't, and they both just stared at each other in silence. Finally, Draco began sputtering nervously.

"I… well Granger I'm sorry this happened to you." He finally spat out, though his lack of confidence and anxious expression was all new to Hermione. She was used to Malfoy the arrogant and cocky bully she had grown up with at Hogwarts. That Malfoy would never had dared make this kind gesture, however small it was. Malfoy turned to leave and suddenly, Hermione felt her own voice come shouting from her throat.

"Wait! Don't go! I mean you can stay if you want." Hermione realized she had been so desperate for any kind of sympathetic kindness she was now begging Malfoy of all people to keep her company. A year ago she would never have believed this could be true. But then again, a year ago things had been so different, so simple.

"Alright. I'll stay." Malfoy had turned back around and sat on the dark and dismal dungeon floor across from Hermione.

Hermione quickly engulfed the stew. She hadn't realized she had been so hungry. When was the last time she ate? It felt like it had been years ago. Draco watched her, seemingly indifferent as she slurped down the rest of the stew.

"My mum and dad are out with Auntie Bella right now. And He is away as well. They asked me to keep an eye on you." Malfoy explained, all emotion wiped from his face.

Suddenly, Hermione had a plan once again. It had seemed all hope was lost without a wand, but maybe not. If she could just convince Malfoy to let her go, then maybe she still had a small chance. She obviously couldn't overpower him without a wand, but maybe she could appeal to the merciful side he seemed to show lately. She just wasn't sure how to go about it, and it seemed nearly impossible. Still, she felt as if she must try.

"And so is that what your doing right now then? Your keeping an eye on me?" Hermione questioned him with a slightly teasing demeanor, hoping to soften him up. He stared back at her with an open mouth, obviously confused by this.

"Well yeah, I am... And I wanted to see how your doing after everything yesterday." Malfoy replied quickly, shifting his grip upon his wand.

"Well, that's very kind of you." Hermione chirped. _This was not going well_ , she thought to herself. She felt like she was appearing fake and sensed the obvious discomfort from Malfoy.

"Yeah...But I wanted to ask you something. What did He say to you last night? You know, when we all had to leave?" Malfoy's face now held a curious expression as he leaned closer towards Hermione in earnest. Hermione saw no good reason to lie to him.

"He didn't say much. Just that he didn't want to kill me." Hermione answered truthfully.

"That's what I've been wondering, why your still alive. No offense, but with your...well...blood-status I was sure he would want to kill you first chance he got. Did he tell you why he didn't want to kill you?" Malfoy asked, his eyes now wide with obvious curiosity stemming from them.

"He said he wanted to keep me as a kind of, well, a "pet". He would use me as some kind of secret weapon against Harry." Hermione continued. Draco let out a gasp and then shook his head.

" A pet? What's that supposed to mean?" Draco questioned, his face full of genuine terror.

"I don't know" Hermione answered truthfully. She had been wondering the same question all night herself.

"Why did you do this to yourself Granger? Go on some suicide mission with Potter. Why did he drag you into all of this?" Draco pleaded. Hermione now forgot all about trying to persuade Malfoy as rage poured through her.

"For your information, Harry didn't drag me into anything. I agreed to go, I wanted to help take down you-know-who." Hermione spat back, her cheeks red in anger.

"See you don't understand. He's too powerful Granger. You would never stand a chance. No one does, not even your precious Potter." Malfoy shook his head at this and raised his arms.

"I believe Harry still stands a chance. He has the secret to destroying Him once and for all. And if you let me go I still can make sure of it." Hermione threw her feeble request in there, hoping for the best.

"What? Let you go? Granger do you think I'm mad. Me and my whole family would be dead in two seconds. You saw how close we were yesterday." Draco trailed off, astonished by her request he stood up, seemingly to leave.

"Draco, please. You don't understand. He's going to use me to get to Harry, and he's the only one who can end this once and for all" Hermione now found herself standing as well, clasping Draco's hands and sobbing.

"Hermione!" Draco now spoke in a whisper as he moved inward.

"If I could so something I would. I well...I" But he couldn't bring himself to say it. He couldn't admit to her now how much he had despised Voldemort, loathed him even for what he had done to him and his family. He especially couldn't tell her he had secretly hoped Potter would somehow be victorious, though the chances were more than slim. Fear and terror blocked him from telling her his true feelings, and he recoiled, pulling his hands away from her grasp. What Draco heard next however, he did not expect.

"I understand." Hermione cried silently.

"Your life and your family's lives, I understand." and she really did. Keeping her family and friends safe had always been the most important thing to her. She may have done the same had she been in his position. Malfoy walked away, slightly shook by the whole scene that had unfolded.

"Granger...I'll do what I can. You know, to help you." He whispered from the door of the dungeon. Hermione felt so grateful, relieved, to have someone on her side in this dark and desperate place. Who of all people would have guessed that person would be Draco Malfoy? Nevertheless, she expected him to be unable to help her escape. Just having some small comfort, some support made her feel more ready for the dark times that lay surely ahead. Finally, Hermione looked back at the tall and pale faced boy with blonde hair and smiled. And with a weak smile in return, he vanished from sight.


	3. Chapter 3: Sleeping with the Enemy

The next few weeks passed in much of the same dull and antagonizing way for Hermione. She had still not seen or spoken to Voldemort since her first night at the Malfoy Manor. That led her only to contemplate and worry silently of the impending fate he had prepared for her. She had been mostly alone, except for occasional visits from Draco. Astonishingly, these visits kept her spirits up and gave her something to look forward to. He would sneak her down extra food to make up for the one greasley meal a day she was given. He had to come under the pretense he was practicing the cruciatus curse in order to fool Bellatrix.

She had been permitted to shower a few times now, but was horrifically watched by Luscious. He had insisted that the dark lord demanded constant supervision while she was outside the dungeon. However, Hermione felt disgusted that he had offered himself while his wife Narcissa would have been the much more preferable option. The first time it had absolutely traumatized her to have to strip naked in front of Luscious's glare and outstrecthed wand. She had tried desperately to cover herself in any way she could. She felt utterly violated, for in having no wand herself there was no real threat of her trying anything while she was in the shower. And yet to her disgust, Luscious hungirly examined her body with delight.

As utterly traumatizing as her bathing ritual had been, she was at least glad to be clean. She was given a new black nightgown to wear made of silk at the request of Lord Voldemort. Although the silk felt luxurious and comforting against her skin, she still couldn't help but feel guilty in her approval. It had been given to her by _Him_ after all. She did not want to give him the satisfaction of her accepting his gift. Plus, she felt it exposed a little too much skin and wished for something more modest.

At last one afternoon she heard a loud band come from upstairs. _Could it be them? Could they be coming to rescue me?_ She had thought, a little to hopefully. But soon her hopes were crushed by a high, bellowing women's voice Hermione recognized immediately as Bellatrix Lestrange's.

"My lord. My lord have you heard the horrible news?" Bellatrix asked, quite frightened in her high pitch and ringing voice.

"Yes, Bella. And now many Goblins and death eaters are dead because of it. How Potter managed to break into your vault is utterly unnerving. And Gringotts is supposed to be the safest place to hide such treasures." Hermione heard a snakelike icy hiss she knew was unmistakably Voldemort himself. She could barely keep quiet as mixed emotions flooded inside of her. He had returned. But Harry and Ron, had they managed to destroy another horcrux? If so, she was beyond herself with relief and joy at their accomplishment. But still, a part of her she hated wished they would have come back to rescue her instead. She truly was on her own now.

"My lord let me make you feel better. You know I can. Let me be of complete service to you." Bellatrix hissed in an almost seductive tone that made Hermione gag.

"No Bella. Off. Bring me the girl!" Voldemort boomed and Hermione's heart sank, frozen in fear and panic.

"The filthy mudblood. Why would you want her to…" Bellatrix began, clearly shocked and betrayed at this request.

"THE GIRL. Bring her to me!" Voldemort's icy words shouted out as he lost patience. Hermione held her breath, preparing to once again meet the monster who had enslaved her. What tortures were in store for her, she could only imagine. A few seconds later, the dungeon door swung open violently. Bellatrix stood, peering in the dark with black eyes, her face red with fury.

"You filthy mudblood! You must come with me. If we're lucky the Dark Lord will let me play with you a little more today." Hermione twinged at the memory of being tortured by the merciless Bellatrix. The fear she felt began to muster in her throat and shaking hands, as she walked up the stairs following Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Now good girl" Bellatrix teased. Soon, they arrived in the room where Voldemort stood. His red snake like eyes casting even more fear into Hermione than she had remembered or thought possible.

"Now what shall we do with her, my lord? I am thinking the cruciatus curse will loosen her up a bit?" Bellatrix's voice filled with bloodlust, as she quickly spat out " _crucio"_ and twisted her wand.

Hermione was suddenly on the floor. A distant voice seemed to be screaming that was probably her own, but none of that mattered now. All that mattered now was the pain, the sheer and utter pain gripping her, squeezing her, ripping her insides apart. She would have done anything to make it stop, when suddenly it did. Now she was sobbing curled up on the floor. She was conscious just enough to hear Lord Voldemort scolding Bellatrix.

"I never said to do that Bellatrix. Why do you disobey your Master? Do you not respect my authority?" Voldemorts voice was cool and calculating.

"My lord, of course I do. I respect you above all else. I only thought it was your wish to have some fun with the girl. I thought maybe that's why you wanted her..." Bellatrix trailed off, losing all confidence in her voice that she had possessed only moments before. Now she sounded utterly helpless.

"That is for me to decide and you to explicitly obey." Voldemort now turned to face Hermione who had stopped crying and stood back up.

"I apologize on behalf of Bellatrix, this was not my intention in calling you here." He gestured his hand across the room. Bellatrix stood pouting with her arms crossed. Still, Hermione wished her to stay, so she wouldn't have to be alone with him. To Hermione's disappointment however, he waved Bellatrix off with his wandless hand. Bellatrix silently obeyed her master, although Hermione could once again see intense displeasement stretched across her gaunt face.

"Now that we are alone and my intentions were made clear…" Lord Voldemort began but to both of their dismay, Hermione interrupted him.

"But your intentions have never been made clear" Hermione burst out, quickly regretting her mistake. Voldemort flinched, but recovered himself and kept his compuse with a sly smirk.

"Clever girl" he laughed hollowly. He then guided her into another dark room.

"Sit" he commanded her and she obeyed, seeing no reason to object. They both now sat facing each other in the next room over, which Hermione had assumed to be the dining room. A long black, neatly polished marble table was stationed at the center, with about twenty black leather chairs surrounding it. This room too, was dark and cold, keeping in theme with the rest of the Manor.

"So, while I have been away has your stay been comfortable?" Voldemort questioned in a concerned manner that Hermione knew to be ingenuine.

"Stay!" she scoffed.

"Has my stay been comfortable? You must mean my imprisonment. And comfort? If you think sleeping alone on a cold dungeon floor night after night with only one small meal a day is comfortable then...And a man watching me shower!" Hermione finished, finally snapping under the pressure of it all. She surprisingly didn't even feel fear as she braced for Voldemort's surely angry response. Instead, however, his tiny slits for eyes widened as much as was possible.

"Watching you shower? Who's watching you shower?" Voldemort demanded.

"Luscious. He said it was under your orders too." Hermione gazed up triumphantly, as if she had won a secret battle against him.

"Never did I order such a thing. And He knows you are mine… I will deal with him later" Voldemort looked more furious than Hermione had ever seen him. It frightened her however, when he had said she was _his._ What did he mean by that? The thought repulsed her.

"And as far as your sleeping arrangement, that will all be monitored by me now. You are no longer the malfoys guest to abuse and victimize." he calmly said regaining his usual cool composure.

"I… thank you. But where shall I be sleeping then, if not in the dungeon? Are you not afraid I will escape?" Hermione began but already knew she was saying too much. She missed human contact so badly that she even used Voldemort as a means to achieve it.

"No, I am not afraid you will escape. You have no wand and are therefore powerless." voldemort laughed pitilessly.

"And as for your sleeping arrangements, well that's easy. You will be sleeping with me in my room from now on." Voldemort devilishly smiled meeting Hermione's fear stricken eyes.

"No." she uttered but to no avail. Her protests would make no difference now. She was officially sleeping with the enemy.


	4. Chapter 4: Never Let Me Go

The pain of what Lord Voldemort had earlier declared struck Hermione like a thousand knives. After their conversation she was directed to an upstairs bedroom that she could only assume was the master suite. It only made sense Lucius and Narcissa would have to give up such an intimate place to Voldemort, there master. It was the largest bedroom Hermione had ever seen. The ceilings seemed to be as high as a cathedral with only a diamond chandelier glimmering down from them. The floors appeared to be black marble. There was a fireplace and a large black bookshelf that encompassed thousands of spellbooks. At the center stood an enormous bed, that seemed polished in black silk. Black and green curtains hid the windowsill sheltering the room into the familiar darkness that accompanied the entire mansion. Hermione could not help but yelp at the enormity and grandeur of the room. Voldemort smiled with satisfaction at this, taking it as a sign of approval.

"Im fine in the dungeon. I prefer it actually" Hermione stated definitively, breaking Voldemort triumphant smile into a frown.

"Well, nevertheless you will accompany me here." Voldemort hissed with a sense of finality in his voice.

"You are also able to choose whatever you like from the closet. And are able to bathe in solitude, but only if you wish." he smirked down upon her, grinning like a ravenous hungry animal. Hermione could not hide her repulsion but nevertheless responded quickly.

"Yes I do wish, thank you. And aren't these 's clothes?" Hermione asked with genuine curiosity.

"Why yes, of course they are." Voldemort answered plainly.

"But...well I wouldn't want to invade." Hermione whispered embarrassed by her own childish and naive behavior.

"Let me get one thing perfectly clear." Lord Voldemort stepped now in front of hermione so he was towering down at her.

"I am Lord Voldemort, the most powerful wizard alive. If I say these are your clothes now, they are. Do you understand" Voldemort spat. Hermione just shook her head in confirmation, unwilling to face the consequences of controversy. Voldemort then turned and walked away. Hermione couldn't believe she was asking this, but before she could stop herself she belted out,

"Where are you going?" Voldemort looked a little too pleased by this question and answered promptly.

"I have business to attend to involving your friend. But do not worry, I will be back tonight. I trust you'll stay in this room, unless you want me to release the wrath of Bella on you?" Voldemort asked grinning.

Hermione nodded, and accordingly the Dark Lord turned and walked away. Hermione nervously sat upon the bed, its soft silk against her skin. It felt like heaven and soon she lie there asleep. It wasn't until she heard a knocking of the door that she froze as she awoke, sure he was back.

"Mudblood, it's me Draco." Draco tapped on the door again. Hermione hadn't been sure how long she had been sleeping, as there was no clock in the room. However, hopeful to see her visitor, she eagerly sat up in bed and beckoned him in.

Draco entered the room with a scowl on his face. Perhaps, Hermione thought, he was about to deliver her bad news. He sat down at the lower end of the bed parallel to Hermione and broke the silence at last.

"I can't believe he did this to you?" Draco whispered quite loudly in apparent anger.

"Did what?" Hermione questioned him, confused.

"You know. Making you sleep here, with him." Draco looked horrified at the words, Perhaps he did care for Hermione after all, she thought.

"Just pretend to be asleep when he comes back tonight. But be careful granger. Don't say no too forcefully or he might..." Hermione was shocked as Malfoy's hand closed into hers.

"Kill me? That would be better than… well…" Hermione trailed off. The thought of it was too hideous to put into words.

Suddenly, the most unexpected thing Hermione could imagine happened. Malfoy's hard lips pressed into hers. But what happened next surprised her even more. She began to kiss him back. At first shyly, then more passionately. Soon his hand was entwined with her dark hair. They kissed feverishly for a few minutes more until a horrible thought popped up into Hermione's head. Ron. And with a twinge of guilt and sadness, Hermione pulled away.

"Is everything okay?" Draco asked with sincere concern, still holding her close. Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she began to think of Ron and how she would never get to do with him what she had just done with Draco. Draco straightened up and his face seemed buried in thought for a second.

"It's Weasley isn't it?" Draco calmly asked with no resentment in his voice, only sadness. Hermione just nodded and burst into tears again.

"I'll never see him again. I love him, you know. Definitely as brother but maybe something more…" Hermione hesitated.

"I know you do but Granger I have to confess right now that i've always had feelings for you. Strong feelings. I didn't know how to go about it…. So I bullied you instead. Called you mudblood. I was childish and stupid then, and i'm sorry. I know i'll never be able to make up for it all but at least let me try to be something of a comfort to you. That's what Ron would want, you to be happy, to be comforted." and at this Hermione sobbed once more and Draco held her tight in his arms, like he may never let her go.


	5. Chapter 5: Sweet Revenge

What seemed like hours later, Draco finally released the hysterical Hermione. Everything had seemed to hit her at once, like a wall of cascading bricks that fell upon her. Her family and friends that she would never see again, and the fear of what lay ahead proved to be too much for her to bear in that moment. She had been so grateful for Draco's kind support. She knew Draco was right, that Ron would have wanted her to feel comforted and cared for.

"I'm afraid I'll have to leave you now." Draco whispered.

"Will you be alright? I can stay if you need me...its just my mum…" Draco began but was interrupted by Hermione.

"No Draco I will be okay. And even if I'm not at least I still have you here." Hermione smiled at him and caught the light that seemed to glimmer in his eyes.

"Of course. I'm never far away." Draco again glided his lips onto hers and kissed her gently before quickly pulling away.

"I'm sorry I forgot." he stammered embarrassed.

"No It's alright." Hermione was once again astonished by her own words. Malfoy blushed.

Draco quietly slipped out of the room and out of sight. Hermione couldn't believe what had just happened. Was she so desperate for affection she was seeking it from Draco Malfoy, her sworn enemy? Or had she actually begun to develop feelings for him, feelings that felt immensely strong at the moment. Had she been betraying Ron by kissing him? But of course, Hermione could not even be sure her love and affection was returned by Ron. She had never told him how she felt. She wasn't sure whether it was the prospect of her death tonight or all the fear she had built inside of her that had caused her to act. Being with Draco gave her some release from her constant anxiety and misery, and for that she was grateful. Being with him made her feel warm inside, like herself again. She would contemplate about Draco later she thought, as the most delightful idea popped into her head.

"Books! They have books!" It felt as if Hermione was welcoming home a cherished old friend as she brushed on the canvas covers of each spellbook that lay on the Malfoys bookshelf, carefully reading each title. She was so relieved to once again be reunited with something that was such an integral part of her, it almost made her shattered soul feel a little more whole. She finally decided on an old favorite, Bathilda Bagshot's _A History of Magic_ , and settled into her new comfortable and warm bed. She began reading, mesmerized by every page.

Hermione was sure hours had passed and it was now well into the night. She had nervously hoped that he may not be coming after all, until suddenly she heard a crack downstairs and her stomach turned upside down. As quickly as she could muster, she set her book on the side table and slammed her eyes shut. Draco's advice rang in her head, _Pretend your sleeping._ And sure enough, the door swung open at last. Cold silence fell into the room, as Hermione's heart began to pound outside of her chest. Under her tightly shut eyes she couldn't see a thing, as several minutes of silence had elapsed.

And then terror swept through every limb of Hermione's body as she felt an icy long hand stroke her hair gently for what seemed like an eternity.

"Sleep well." she heard Lord Voldemort's icy voice coo with an unfamiliar affection and then it happened. The thing she feared and had foolishly believed she had escaped. Ice cold lips rested upon hers. She almost startled in shock, but kept still as to not give herself away. The kiss at was motionless and unfeeling, giving Hermione tiny goosebumps all over her body. Then as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Voldemort vanished into silence. Hermione then felt the bed slightly bend in weight as he himself had gotten into the bed. And then silence fell over Hermione again, as she dare not open here eyes. She lay there, secretly awake for awhile trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Had Lord Voldemort really just kissed her? Where was he going with all of this? Had he known her to be awake and was just trying to play mind games with her again? Or had he genuinely wanted to kiss her out of affection? If it was affection, how could he, Lord Voldemort, have fallen for a mudblood like herself? With these questions and much more fluttering around in her mind, in a few hours time she was asleep.

The morning had brought with it all its false promises for new beginnings. Hermione had awoken, without the slightest comprehension where, and with whom, she was sleeping. She yawned stretching out her arms until suddenly, in what felt like a montage from a horror film, the reality of her situation dawned upon her. Even worse than that, she soon recalled the events of last night with utter disgust. Voldemort lay awake on her side, beaming at her.

"Good morning" Voldemort tried to smile in what looked to Hermione like a grimace. Hermione just turned her head and stared at him blankly, still shocked from last night's previous events. Did he know she was aware of the unwelcome icy kiss he had bestowed upon her?

"I have been thinking and I have decided to change my form back into my previous state as a young man, to make you more comfortable by my presence." Voldemort acknowledged, his red eyes directly piercing into Hermione's.

"What? You mean as Tom Riddle?" Hermione questioned suspiciously.

"Don't...please don't use my filthy muggle fathers name." Voldemort hissed as he held a hand up in protest against her.

"Why would you want to make me feel more comfortable?" Hermione eyed him again skeptically.

"Because, as I have said before you are my guest now, Hermione. You will find Lord Voldemort to be very noble towards those he holds closest to him."

Voldemort flicked his wand and suddenly he was transformed into a unrecognizably handsome young man. The new Voldemort's red slits for eyes were now emerald green and his yellowing teeth became pearly white. Where there had been none on his snaplike face, a strong nose appeared. He had dark hair that perfectly rustled against his head. His shape was tall, strong and muscular with large and steady looking shoulders that held his head high in pride. He looked around the same age as Hermione. Hermione hated to admit this, but she felt inexplicably drawn to him. She had never met anyone she found to be so handsome. But once again, she remembered the monster that lie within and pushed her attraction away.

"Well...what do you think? Bit of a change isn't it?" Only Voldemort's voice was not his own, usual icy pitch. Instead, he spoke in a deep young man's voice, charming and controlled. _I still see a monster_ Hermione was tempted to say, with Voldemort's now emerald eyes piercing her soul.

"A change in some regards yes." Hermione responded cooley.

"And what do you mean by that, girl?" Tom demanded, sitting up a little taller on the bed now.

"Just that the changes are only physical. Like you said, you're still Lord Voldemort." Hermione answered calmly.

Voldemort frowned and stood up from the bed. His robes now dropped down from his chest, overly large on his new frame.

"You shall join me for breakfast downstairs in an hour." He demanded once more, turning to face Hermione who still sat upon the bed.

"I'm not very hungry." Hermione protested. Voldemort's lips quivered as if he were about to lose his temper but then forced a smile upon his face now flushed with color.

"Nevertheless, you will join me downstairs in an hour." Tom now gilded towards the door and slipped away. Why was he asking her to join him for breakfast? It seemed frivolous and unnecessary. Hermione had never been so confused in her entire life. Why did this matter to him, there had to be a reason? Hermione arose from bed, stretching her arms out wide and yawning once again. She hadn't slept very well the previous night, she was engulfed in anxiety and terror at the man that lay next to her.

Hermione now walked over to a large mirror next to the closet, where she examined her thin frame. It seemed she had lost too much weight over the last few months, barely scraping up meals with Harry. Her hair was a thick tangled mess as she had not brushed it in days. She strode over to the bathroom, to find a brush laying on the counter. After brushing her long hair until it was silky and smooth once more, she walked into the closet. Just like the bedroom itself, it was the largest and most luxurious closet Hermione had ever seen. There were rows and rows of neatly polished robes in every color and a glistening case of diamonds that lay at the center. Above it there was yet another diamond chandelier which sparkled and danced in the light. She could hardly imagine actually having all of these clothes, and then remembered she was free to choose whichever garment she preferred. Hermione searched for a moment through the dresses and robes until she found one that mezmorized her. The dress underneath was a black velvet but what was truly magnificent was the robes that matched. They were a beautiful emerald green made out of what Hermione assumed was only the finest silk. Black beads danced out of the green fabric and lace trimmings. Immediately Hermione slipped on the dress and robes and stared at herself in the mirror. She was truly beautiful, as the breathtakingly luxurious fabric clinged to her waist. She smiled at a reflection that did not feel like her own, for her beauty was unrecognizable to herself. Finally after twirling in front of the great mirror a few seconds longer, she left the closet. Once again she heard a familiar tap on the door and a boy shouted.

"Mudblood it's me. Time to practice some more unforgivable curses" in an unnecessarily loud voice. Hermione opened the door to a breathless Draco, who gazed at her from head to toe in awe.

"You look stunning." he whispered, looking down and blushing.

"Also, sorry I have to pretend for Bellatrix that I am torturing you." Malfoy mumbled quietly under his breath.

"No it's fine. Come in!" Hermione chirped, feeling in one of the best moods that she had been in since becoming Lord Voldemort's prisoner. Malfoy had a way of doing that to her, making her feel hopeful once again.

"So" Malfoy began as they both sat on the bed once more.

"Was everything okay from last night? I couldn't stop worrying Granger. I hope everything's okay..." malfoy stammered, looking into Hermione's wide eyes.

"No it was fine. I did what you said, just pretended to be asleep" Hermione insisted, deciding not to tell him about the awful kiss.

"Good. I'm so glad to hear that Granger." Malfoy admitted, perking up and smiling at this news.

"So I was going to ask you, what happened at Gringotts, you know the other day? I heard Ron and Harry had escaped from there." Hermione began hopefully, with a twinge of sadness appearing at the thought of her two best friends.

"Well, I wanted to tell you…" Malfoy confessed hesitantly. Hermione suddenly felt a nasty pit at the bottom of her stomach. Her heart began to increase in speed and her hands trembled, as fear spread through her chest.

"What do you mean, wanted to tell me? Tell me what?" she demanded, feeling herself go numb as she prepared for his answer. How bad could it be, for they had surely escaped if Voldemort had been so angry. She had heard it all herself.

"Well, you see Harry escaped... Just Harry." Malfoy mumbled, refusing to look into Hermione's eyes that were now filled with tears.

"What do you mean just Harry? What about Ron, Ron escaped too!" Hermione asserted, refusing to believe otherwise. A moment of silence and tension passed before Draco spoke again.

"No. No, i'm sorry he didn't, Hermione." Draco quietly spoke as gently and sincerely as possible.

"What do you mean he didn't? Is he a prisoner too? Is he in Azkaban? Or is he here, maybe in the dungeon?" Hermione whimpered, biting her lip. _Maybe everything was going to be okay_ she told herself. _Don't jump to conclusions Hermione, he's just a prisoner like you now. Ron will be fine. He has to be._

"No i'm so sorry Hermione. I guess when they were escaping a curse from one of the wizard guards hit him, and it was a fatal blow." Malfoy put an arm around her silently to comfort her, but Hermione viciously shook him off.

"Liar! You liar! Your just saying that because you have feelings for me, aren't you. Ron is fine, he is with Harry. Ron is fine!" Hermione viscously roared as tears flooded down her cheeks.

"I love him! I love him and someday i'm going to marry him. Ron is okay he's fine." Hermione was now hysterical, pouring tears into her hands that guarded her face.

"Im...im not lying. I would never do that to you. I'm so, so sorry Hermione. Please, let me comfort you." Malfoys mouth creaked as he talked with grief and empathy. He knew she had lost her best friend, the love of her life. He knew nothing he could do could fix it, but still he wanted desperately to try.

"Please just go and leave me alone. I need to be alone." Hermione whimpered shaking her head, tears still flooding from her eyes.

"I...Okay" Draco agreed reluctantly pulling himself from the bed. Staring sadly back at the grieving girl he was falling in love with, he closed the door and left. Hermione wasn't even sure what had followed this. Everything seemed to go black, like reality itself had caved in upon her. She would have rather died in a heartbeat than Ron. Ron was her everything, she had loved him more than anybody in the world. The little hope she still had for a future was now wiped away. There was no more hope in a world without Ron. She walked like a ghost, unfeeling to the bathroom. There, she shattered a small mirror with her fist. Blood dripped down her hands but she felt no pain. There was no pain left to feel. She then took the largest shard of glass and turned it over examining it slowly. She was so tempted to thrust it as hard as she could into her own heart but then something hit her and she felt like she had been shaken awake.

The only true way to avenge Ron was to beat Voldemort. Death was a cowardly way out of feeling and not what he would have wanted for her. If she truly cared about him at all, she knew she must go on. She must get to Harry and complete the mission all three of them had started. If that took sleeping with Lord Voldemort or Malfoy to survive and escape, so be it. Her one true love was gone and she must now do whatever necessary to avenge his death. Wiping her tears away, she no longer felt sad but strong and without feeling. She stood up from the bathroom floor, shaking and wiped the blood off her hands in the sink. Then without another word or thought, she walked away.


	6. Chapter 6: The Prophecy

Lord Voldemort was not a patient man. If a man is what you could even call the sadistic, demented soul of Tom Riddle. He hated waiting around for this girl and having to try and please her. Nevertheless, he knew how essential she was to his plan. A plan he had not considered necessary until a few months previously when he had learned that his immortality had been threatened at last by none other than Harry Potter. Harry Potter had discovered his secret of horcruxes, and Voldemort had to do something quickly. So he decided to dust off an old prophecy that he had always kept as a backup if it had ever become necessary.

 _Through lesser blood than yours,_

 _Though equal wit and bravery surpassing,_

 _She shall come through the one you fear_

 _When you fear him most_

 _And if you shall willingly unite_

 _The one you marked as equal will fall at last_

He had never really understood who the prophecy had foretold until a series of recent events had made things much more clear. He went through the prophecy silently once more, phrase by phrase.

 _Through lesser blood than yours_

That must mean a mud-blood since he himself was a halfblood.

 _Though equal wit and bravery surpassing_

Meaning this mudblood had to be extremely smart in order to match his own wit and stupidly brave, meaning they probably were a Gryffindor.

 _She shall come through the one you fear_

The only one Lord Voldemort feared was his greatest enemy Harry Potter, the only one who had ever been able to thwart him.

 _When you fear him most_

This Voldemort had not been able to workout for the longest time, until he discovered Harry had been hunting Horcruxes.

 _And if you shall willingly unite_

This part still confused him. "Willingly" obviously meant without the imperius curse or through force but "unite" seemed to either mean fall in love or unite in marriage.

 _The one you marked as equal will fall at last_

This is the part that made Voldemort ecstatic with joy. He understood what this meant quite well, for he had marked Harry Potter as his equal after the first prophecy was foretold. He would be able to destroy his greatest enemy and his only threat to immortality by simply having a mudblood fall in love with him. But who was this mudblood? That part Voldemort never understood nor found it necessary to understand until Potter had discovered his secret.

But then he saw this mudblood, Hermione Granger, as the inseparable member of Harry Potter's trio. Finally, it had all come together. She was the girl he must have fall in love with him. But how would he capture her if she was on the run Harry Potter? And then she fell perfectly into his hands when she was left behind at the Malfoy Manor. Although Potters capture would have been preferred, she served as a close second.

Now the only problem Voldemort had encountered was how he should go about making this girl fall in love with him. He knew he couldn't use imperio, for the prophecy had been explicit in the need to be willingly united. He knew he had once before been persuasive and excellent at charming women as Tom Riddle. Every girl he knew back at Hogwarts had fallen head over heels for him, even the female professors. He however was never interested in such pitiful things as love and feelings, which only seemed to interfere with power and make other weak. This time however, it was exactly what he needed to gain power and ensure his immortality.

That is why he had decided to change into his former appearance. Although it failed to instill fear like his snake like body had, he was much more handsome and charming that way. No girl, not even the stubborn Hermione Granger, could resist his tall dark and handsome form. With a little charm and persuasion, he would have the mudblood falling for him in no time at all.

At this thought, he saw Hermione make her way through the dark wooden doorway. She had looked truly breathtaking, wearing a gorgeous black velvet dress matched with a silky emerald robe. That was Voldemort's favorite colors. As he examined her body he couldn't help but feel immensely physically attracted to her. He was sick of having to wait to take her as his own. If only the prophecy hadn't demanded it be a mutually desired affair. His animalistic and selfish senses told him to ravish her then and there. He knew however, he had to be a convincing gentleman. It was the only way to defeat Potter, after all.

"Good morning. Wormtail made us breakfast. It will probably be good because he knows his life relies upon it.." Voldemort snickered ruthlessly as he stood up, only to meet Hermione's unamused attempt at a smile. He pulled her chair back and tucked her into the table, trying desperately to act the gentleman. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Tom tried once again to create some sort of conversation.

"So, is it good enough to keep Wormtail around?" Voldemort asked with a sly smirk at the very corner of his lips. He saw Wormtail peering anxiously out from the kitchen doorway , shaking and shivering in fear. _Ha, what utter weakness._ _If he had not been such a large reason for my return I would have found so much pleasure in torturing him into insanity._

"For now I suppose." Hermione replied coldly and indifferently as she went about chewing her food. For she no longer had any sympathy left to give, least of all to Wormtail.

"So, I shall hope your new sleeping arrangement is preferable to that of the dungeon?" Voldemort asked the vacant Hermione.

" Yes, it is much more comfortable than a dark dungeon floor. And I love reading so…" Hermione stopped any enthusiasm that had begun at the thought of Ron. Even reading now seemed useless and futile.

"You like to read?" Voldemort was encapsulated by any small detail that could be used to manipulate his future prey. Afterall, he had the rather difficult task of having her willingly fall in love with him.

"I did." hermione responded solemnly once more, pushing away her food with her head staring down at her barely touched plate.

"Well…. I have a surprise for you later than Miss Granger." Voldemort offered in a smooth and assured tone.

"I want you to know something." Voldemort now grabbed Hermione's hand who did not falter at his icy touch, but instead lifted her lage brown eyes to stare directly into his.

"I want you to be happy now Miss Granger. Making you feel comfortable is my highest priority. Please let me know what I can do to make you feel at home. I know that may seem impossible to you right now, but at least let me try. I care about your happiness, you know?" Voldemort easily lied as he perfectly summed up his false persuasion.

"Thank you, that is a very kind thing to say." Hermione concluded once again in a passive and empty manner.

"May I be excused?" she asked in a very hollow sort of way, as if any soul, emotion, or joy had been ripped from her body.

"Of course." and with that, Tom Riddle's thin lips kissed Hermione's hand as he stared into her empty eyes. She did not flinch at this but instead seemed to accept it as rather natural, before nodding and making her way up the stairs once more. Voldemort was frustrated by her lack of emotion. He had to find a way to draw her in, make her emotionally vulnerable. That was the only way to truly manipulate her. But how would he accomplish this?

As soon as Hermione got upstairs to her new dark and lonely room, she sat on the bed. All of the emotion she had experienced in these last days seemed to hit her at once, and she felt as if she might be sick. She didn't even feel like any of this could be reality. How could it be? No more Ron? It was too much to bear. But she had promised herself, back while she bled on the bathroom floor, that she would now do anything to get back to Harry to finish what they had all three started. It seemed like the only way to do that without magic was manipulation. She had to win the favor and trust of Malfoy and Voldemort. How to do so when she felt utterly inhuman was still a question she had no answer for.

Once again, she heard a familiar knock on the doorway.

"Mudblood, its me." Draco snarled tapping on the wooden door frame.

"Come in." Hermione simply replied, all emotion gone from her voice. Draco stumbled in, shutting the door behind him with quiet deliberation. He seemed to feel very uncomfortable, as he stood where he was for several minutes in silence. He then decided upon the bed as his final destination, and trailed their lacking his usual confident strut.

"About earlier Granger. I'm so sorry. I should never of acted the way I did I…" Draco began but was soon silenced by Hermione.

"Draco, you did nothing wrong. It was me, my fault. I blamed you for the horror of what happened when I know you had nothing to do with it. You were just trying to comfort me and give me the truth. I'm sorry I lost control...it's just so horrible…" Hermione began to whimper once more as she flung herself into Draco's welcoming arms. He brushed her back gently, whispering in her ear.

"It's going to be okay Hermione I promise. Everything will be okay." he cooed over and over again, still rubbing her back. In this moment, this is what Hermione needed as the reality of Ron's death became more and more clear. She needed someone to comfort her, to tell her everything would be alright. She needed Draco.

"If I could have been there this wouldn't have happened. I usually look out for him. I mean I could have stopped it" Hermoine silently sobbed into Draco's shoulder.

"No, no. you can't think like that Granger. It's no ones fault it's just horrible." Malfoy trembled holding Hermione even tighter.

"Your wrong. _Him_ , it's _his_ fault." Hermione now straightened up staring into Malfoy's eyes with a bold look of pure anger dancing within them.

"Granger you have to be careful. He's powerful beyond any wizard. Don't try anything stupid. Alright?" Malfoy pleaded.

"Fine." Hermione huffed, still locking eyes with Dracos.

"Promise me Granger. Promise me you won't be reckless when it comes to him. I know you have that Gryffindor spirit within you to be brave, but now's not the time. It's the time to be smart...to keep your head down. So promise me?" Malfoy pleaded once more, looking quite troubled.

"I promise Draco." Hermione declared, quite certain she was lying. Both Hermione and Draco now lay on the bed, with Draco's supporting arm around Hermione's head and shoulders. After a minute or two, Hermione readjusted her position so that her head now lay on top of Draco's chest. She liked it that way, she felt supported and small in his arms. They lay like this for what seemed like hours when suddenly Draco's voice broke the silence.

"Granger?" Malfoy asked, hopeful Hermione had not fallen asleep.

"Yes" Hermione responded in a hushed whisper.

"I think i'm in love with you" Malfoy confessed. Hermione was not able to see his face but she was sure from his voice it must have been reddened by shame and embarrassment. She felt his heart quicken under her head, and his hand that held her tremble.

"Draco...I'm just really confused right now" Hermione began hesitantly mumbling. She felt like she was telling the truth but she didn't know what to feel anymore, if she could feel anything at all. And then Draco gently kissed the top of her head.

"I completely understand Granger. I just wish I could stay like this… with you... forever." Draco confessed, tucking one of Hermione's fly away hairs back.

"Then stay" Hermione pleaded, wishing more than anything to not be alone right now. Not after todays news. She felt much weaker than she had earlier, as if all her bravery had begun to dry up.

"We both know I can't. I've already stayed too long. He will be back any minute to check on you." Draco whispered, his voice now shifting from longing to anxious as he considered his fate if he stayed too long. A shudder went down his spine at the very thought of Voldemort's reaction. Malfoy knew Voldemort was very possessive of his "things", and there would be no mercy shown if he found Draco here with Hermione.

"I feel better when your with me" Hermione tried desperately once more. Unlike Draco, she was not considering the consequences of Voldemort finding them. She was only worried about the consequences that being alone might bring about.

"Granger…. I wish I could more than anything. Please don't tempt me anymore than I already am…" Malfoy desperately pleaded.

"Alright fine, but come back as soon as you can." Hermione finally conceded, propping herself up to look into Malfoy's eyes once more.

"You know I will." Draco promised, holding Hermione's gaze.

"And just pretend i'm asleep right?" Hermione asked, nervously glancing around the room as the reality of who would shortly be joining her came over her at last.

"Right. I...well goodnight". Malfoy now whispered pulling away from the bed and standing up. It seemed as if he had longed to say more, but without another word he turned away from Hermione's gaze and headed to the doorway.

"Goodnight" Hermione now whispered back in a hushed manner that Hermione assumed was only audible to herself. She sat up straighter in bed, brushing the hair from her eyes. Hermione Granger had never been so unsure of anything as she was right now. So many things had happened today it was beyond her own comprehension. The love of her life, Ron Weasley, had been horrifically murdered. Voldemort was planning something deeply suspicious. Draco Malfoy had confessed his love for her. She didn't know where to turn any longer or what to do. She wasn't even sure how she felt. She was completely lost and for the first time, no book seemed to be able to help her make sense of things.


	7. Chapter 7: Seduced By Power

Hermione now lay silently under the silky satin sheets that clung to the bed. She knew he was close, she could almost feel his icy cold presence lurking nearer. She had remembered how absolutely terrified she had been the previous night of the uncertainty in Voldemort's arrival. All of that however seemed now like a distant dream. Ever since Hermione had learned of Ron's dire fate from her friends escape from Gringotts, she had been this way. An emotionless and empty shell of a human being. She had no more fear, no more will to even live. All that she had now driving her forward was the thought of avenging Rons death. But still, she couldn't help but feel comfort in her new friends arms. Malfoy, who had previously been her sworn enemy, had now become the only thing over these last few weeks that provided her with any sense of comfort or familiarity. Still, she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty that she had begun to use him for her own consolation. As tonight had made perfectly clear, he had real and strong feelings for her. And although she admittedly returned some of those feelings, she knew it was a far cry from his own.

She was afraid of taking advantage of her only friend, and of hurting him. He had been so supportive and understanding over these past few weeks. She wished she could return his feelings just to make him happy. Maybe she could grow to love him? But then, this thought hit an icy wall of regret and sadness. Her one true love was gone and she would never see him again. Could she ever love again?

Hermione then began to ponder over the unusual activity of Voldemort in recent events. Why was he being so friendly to her? What was his goal with all this? Surely, he couldn't believe that she would ever fall for this gentlemans facade as Tom Riddle?

Hermione clutched her eyes shut even tighter than before as she heard the door creak slowly. As she heard footsteps approach the bed, she tried to control her breath. She felt her heart beat frantically, like it was about to explode from her ribcage. Surely he could hear it too, Hermoine thought in a panic stricken daze. She began to silently pray to something, anything, that he would just forget about her for the night. Still, all the prayers in the wizarding world couldn't help her now as she heard a deep and soothing murmur from across the bed.

"Do you honestly think that I don't know you are awake?" Lord Voldemort chuckled wildly still in the human form of Tom Riddle. Hermoine refused to give in, maybe if she lay still he would reconsider…

"Granger! You insult me!" Tom snapped the words as Hermoine instantaneously jumped up and flung open her eyes.

"I was...I was trying to sleep." Hermoine reactively sputtered in a hollow defense. She sat up fully upon the bed, regret drenching her insides at the prospect of her plan failing miserably.

"Sure you were... Even if I was not an expert legilimens I would know you were lying" he smirked, the side of his mouth curving in genuine amusement. Hermoine quickly darted her eyes from his own emerald green ones, remembering how foolish she had forgotten his notorious skill at legilimency. She herself had never properly studied occlumency, although she had read countless books about the subject and had gotten a few pointers from Harry's lessons. _Harry_. Her heart sunk once again at the thought of her best friend being all alone in the world to finish what the three of them under Dumbledore had started. Would he succeed? It seemed hopeless from where she was now.

"Granger...are you scared of me?" Lord Voldemort proposed the notion through his thin pink lips, sitting himself on the bed next to Hermoine while continuing to carefully keep her in his gaze.

"Should I be?" Hermoine asserted, while at the same time confidently locking her eyes in Tom's. She was unsure where this courage was stemming from, especially since her pounding heart hadn't seemed to slow down. Afterall, it had seemed like a silly question. Of course she was afraid of him, of all the horrific monstrosities he had committed through the years or the unspeakable magic he had unleashed. His sole purpose was to destroy everything Hermoine held dear. To destroy all of her friends and family just as he had destroyed the love of her life, Ron. But, still Hermoine couldn't help but remember her former self bravely proclaiming " _fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself."_ She couldn't forget all the times she had chosen her path as a Gryfindor. From the very moment the Sorting Hat had placed her into her house over Ravenclaw, she vowed to value bravery and friendship above all else. Perhaps that is why, alone in a dark room with Lord Voldemort himself, she refused to admit her fear.

"Bravery. What more could I expect from a Gryffindor I suppose. But nevertheless Granger, I know I make you nervous." Tom cooed with arrogance as he leaned closer to where Hermoine sat on the bed. He held up a hand and intertwined his cool fingers into her own hand, as Hermoine gasped in shock and quickly pulled away.

"See, I make you shiver. I hear your heart beat faster when I am near. I excite you." Voldemort marvalled triumphantly.

 _You disgust me_ Hermoine shuddered to herself. Still, she knew she had to be smarter than that now. She couldn't let her own repulsion get in the way of figuring out what He wanted. She now knew she must play her part, for it was the only way to reveal what Voldemort was planning and to help Harry. Hermoine must now manipulate the master of all manipulation.

"Well...I can't help it." Hermoine admittedly purred, trying her best to play off her tone as a sensual innocence.

"I know you can't. I know what you are really drawn to Granger. I have known it all along." Tom Riddle firmly replied, confidence oozing out of every word he slowly and purposefully spoke.

"And what is that?" she challenged, faking an assurance she momentarily lacked. For she had no idea what he was about to say. The only thing she really wanted was to be far away from this place, back with her two best friends at Hogwarts. She swept all hopeful fantasies aside as she focused on her answer, biting her lip in suspense.

"Power." Voldemort whispered, as in one motion he swept Hermoine to the middle of the bed, under his arms and entwined with his lips. Everything about him exuded power and masculinity, as he hungirly devoured her with his tongue. His teasing passionate kisses were accompanied by his lustful hands feeling every inch of her curves. This was something Voldmeort knew. This is where he thrived.

All the while, Hermoine had felt completely caught by surprise. She never expected this to happen so suddenly. Giving in to the moment she was overwhelmed by sexual fantasies and thoughts of desire. She had never before felt like this, a burning sensation in the very pit of her being. Pleasure crept up under her on a purely animalistic level. But still, guilt soon accompanied her purely physical gratification as she realized _who_ was ravishing her. _I have to play the part_ she convinced herself. Yet why did it have to feel so good?

Hermoine's hands were intertwined within Tom's dark hair as he pulled away from her lips breathlessly. She wasn't sure if it had been minutes or hours, as he now towered over her.

"We mustn't...I won't be able to stop myself" he mused with a devilish smirk.

"Then don't" Hermoine pleaded before she could put together what was happening. _She was playing her part too well_ , she noted with a hint of shame.

Tom Riddle leaned down once more for a last teasing kiss before he broke away and sat up upon the silky satin sheets.

"I love your enthusiasm Granger. But this isn't the time nor the place. Not yet at least." the Dark Lord cooed with a resounding arrogance that made it abundantly clear he was very pleased with himself. Hermoine only blushed in shame and embarrassment, trying to take in what had just happened. Had she really been such a good actor, or was there a hint of her that found Him, Lord Voldemort, attractive. Had Hermoine Granger really just been seduced by power?


End file.
